Infiniti Considers Model Above the Q45 - Edmunds . . .
07-27-05, 05:17 PM
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Infiniti Considers Model Above the Q45 - Edmunds . . .
Date Posted 07-26-2005
DETROIT — A flagship model above the current Q45 sedan is on the wish list for the future for Nissan's luxury division, Infiniti, Inside Line has learned.
In an interview with Inside Line, Mark Igo, Infiniti vice president and general manager, said the addition this year of the M-Series allows the luxury marque to consider moving more upscale.
"The Q has a loyal base, but the sales are very small. As we grow the M business, we want to take it to the next phase for that type of buyer," he said.
"As the Q matures, we'll look at how it fits in our lineup," he added. "If we have an opportunity to evolve it, we will do so. But to have a true flagship is something we'd like to have — something that's every bit as impressive as the M. That's what our goal would be. That would be on my dream list."
Infiniti could have more V8-powered models in its future line as well, Igo said. "I'd like to see us do more V8s because it raises transaction prices and gets us into a higher demographic in terms of income. That really sets the forefront for flagships."
Indeed, Igo said the M35 and M45 have boosted Infiniti's transaction prices. The M is selling at about $40,000.
What this means to you: Infiniti is finally wising up and realizing that the Q45 doesn't even exist in the mind of high end luxury sedans buyers. An all-new flagship would go a long way toward getting Infiniti back on track to battle Lexus.
The Q45 is Infiniti's current flagship, but there's speculation that a more upscale sedan may be in the works.
source : Edmunds.com
DETROIT — A flagship model above the current Q45 sedan is on the wish list for the future for Nissan's luxury division, Infiniti, Inside Line has learned.
In an interview with Inside Line, Mark Igo, Infiniti vice president and general manager, said the addition this year of the M-Series allows the luxury marque to consider moving more upscale.
"The Q has a loyal base, but the sales are very small. As we grow the M business, we want to take it to the next phase for that type of buyer," he said.
"As the Q matures, we'll look at how it fits in our lineup," he added. "If we have an opportunity to evolve it, we will do so. But to have a true flagship is something we'd like to have — something that's every bit as impressive as the M. That's what our goal would be. That would be on my dream list."
Infiniti could have more V8-powered models in its future line as well, Igo said. "I'd like to see us do more V8s because it raises transaction prices and gets us into a higher demographic in terms of income. That really sets the forefront for flagships."
Indeed, Igo said the M35 and M45 have boosted Infiniti's transaction prices. The M is selling at about $40,000.
What this means to you: Infiniti is finally wising up and realizing that the Q45 doesn't even exist in the mind of high end luxury sedans buyers. An all-new flagship would go a long way toward getting Infiniti back on track to battle Lexus.
The Q45 is Infiniti's current flagship, but there's speculation that a more upscale sedan may be in the works.
source : Edmunds.com
07-27-05, 05:27 PM
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Maybe this more upscale car is what is supposed to be released after the GT-R. I remember reading comewhere that the 7 speed tranny that is going to be used in the GT-R is also going to be used in some other redesigned car. Either the next Q or this possible car.
07-27-05, 06:09 PM
#3
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im sorry but i think the infiniti Q is a ugly car, but nice interior though, very quiet! just a ugly exterior. why does infiniti need to make another flagship? so this new model will go against the S-class, 7-series, and A8? and the current Q will go against the uhm? CLS? unless its gonna be some high performance vehicle above the Q, I dont understand why they need it
07-27-05, 06:49 PM
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They got to be kidding us. We dont' even know how many M45s they sell, they won't seperate the category in the sales figures. We know the Q45 is a 15 year flop.
ABOVE the Q? Yes, they have turned it around, but there is still LOTS of room for improvement.. The QX56 is as reliable as a VW and they need to revamp ALL interiors. They need to tell they're dealers stop advertising G35s for $169 a month in the paper. Hell Infiniti doesn't exist in Japan or Europe.
The spectuacular A8, which is many members favorite large sedan here, doesn't sell. The public has no idea what it is. The Jag XJ has fallen behind, which is sad as the technology in it is top rate. The LS 400/430 is the only sedan to break the high price barrier with the Germans successfully. That is b/c Lexus spares no expense with the car, they UNDERSTAND what this class of people want.
I don't think these executives realize in the states and in Europe, there is space for 3 top brands and the others are just an afterthought, no matter how good they are..
USA=BMW, Benz, Lexus
Europe=Audi, BMW, Benz
Japan=BMW, Benz and Lexus very, very soon
Who are these executives? THe M hasn't been out a year yet and they want ANOTHER, more expensive sedan. Lets see how it sells after 3 or 4 years then make a decision.
I mean, its pretty simple in the luxo barge game.
Luxury-LS 430
Sport=7 series
Prestige= S-class
All 3 have some of each with each car leaning toward one area.
That is why Lexus is so damn successful. They invest Millions and Billions in research, YEARS of research, they go above and beyond before they bringing a product out from the ground up. They don't flop 2 times in a row. The Q45 has flopped for 15 years!!! They just don't get it. No one gets it. Drink some prune juice and let it go, it just wasn't meant to be.
It takes TIME to make these decisions. Not "oh we finally have a car that is actually meeting sales expecations that sells above 40k, lets make an 80k car now"!!!
They got to be kidding us. We dont' even know how many M45s they sell, they won't seperate the category in the sales figures. We know the Q45 is a 15 year flop.
ABOVE the Q? Yes, they have turned it around, but there is still LOTS of room for improvement.. The QX56 is as reliable as a VW and they need to revamp ALL interiors. They need to tell they're dealers stop advertising G35s for $169 a month in the paper. Hell Infiniti doesn't exist in Japan or Europe.
The spectuacular A8, which is many members favorite large sedan here, doesn't sell. The public has no idea what it is. The Jag XJ has fallen behind, which is sad as the technology in it is top rate. The LS 400/430 is the only sedan to break the high price barrier with the Germans successfully. That is b/c Lexus spares no expense with the car, they UNDERSTAND what this class of people want.
I don't think these executives realize in the states and in Europe, there is space for 3 top brands and the others are just an afterthought, no matter how good they are..
USA=BMW, Benz, Lexus
Europe=Audi, BMW, Benz
Japan=BMW, Benz and Lexus very, very soon
Who are these executives? THe M hasn't been out a year yet and they want ANOTHER, more expensive sedan. Lets see how it sells after 3 or 4 years then make a decision.
I mean, its pretty simple in the luxo barge game.
Luxury-LS 430
Sport=7 series
Prestige= S-class
All 3 have some of each with each car leaning toward one area.
That is why Lexus is so damn successful. They invest Millions and Billions in research, YEARS of research, they go above and beyond before they bringing a product out from the ground up. They don't flop 2 times in a row. The Q45 has flopped for 15 years!!! They just don't get it. No one gets it. Drink some prune juice and let it go, it just wasn't meant to be.
It takes TIME to make these decisions. Not "oh we finally have a car that is actually meeting sales expecations that sells above 40k, lets make an 80k car now"!!!
07-27-05, 07:15 PM
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All that is is that it's marketing shpiel that the next "Q" is going to have a different moniker. Most cars get bigger, fancier, more features, more safety stuff, and a higher price with a new design. They'll trying to distance themselves from the Q because it was such a miserable failure for so long. So instead of saying that the next "Q" will have this and that, they're saying it's gonna be a "brand new" upscale sedan, blah blah blah.
"The Q has a loyal base, but the sales are very small."
Yep, both of 'em are pretty loyal.
A couple weeks ago, my friend was in the market for a FX35, and while we were at the dealer, I asked the manager how many M45's Infiniti allocates, and he said about a quarter of M sales are the M45. He also said that the M45 has been selling better than expected, so they're not willing to deal much on the M45. Better deals with the M35. Another dealer who posted in Edmunds said pretty much the same thing (about the M45 being in more scarce supply).
This is pretty much the same thing between the GS300 and GS430. More dealing with the 3 than the 4. Forget gas prices, I guess horsepower sells in the states. Isn't a ridiculouslyl high percentage of 300s and Magnums sold with the Hemi?
"The Q has a loyal base, but the sales are very small."
Yep, both of 'em are pretty loyal.
A couple weeks ago, my friend was in the market for a FX35, and while we were at the dealer, I asked the manager how many M45's Infiniti allocates, and he said about a quarter of M sales are the M45. He also said that the M45 has been selling better than expected, so they're not willing to deal much on the M45. Better deals with the M35. Another dealer who posted in Edmunds said pretty much the same thing (about the M45 being in more scarce supply).
This is pretty much the same thing between the GS300 and GS430. More dealing with the 3 than the 4. Forget gas prices, I guess horsepower sells in the states. Isn't a ridiculouslyl high percentage of 300s and Magnums sold with the Hemi?
07-27-05, 07:17 PM
#7
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Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
Sigh, I got to put on a flame suit in my own )#($)#()) Forum....... 
Please READ what I wrote before you just say "HATE HATE HATE". I make sense.
Please READ what I wrote before you just say "HATE HATE HATE". I make sense.
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07-27-05, 07:22 PM
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"Infiniti could have more V8-powered models in its future line as well, Igo said. "
This I found interesting though among that marketing garbage.
Let's see, the M, Q, FX, and QX already have a V8. So what does that leave? The G.
Could they be making plans for a high-performance V8 G with the next model? With all the rumours and sightings of a V8 IS floating around, I guess it won't be that surprising.
A G45 (G50?) costing around the same price as a 330i could make things very interesting, at least for the power-mongers out there.
This I found interesting though among that marketing garbage.
Let's see, the M, Q, FX, and QX already have a V8. So what does that leave? The G.
Could they be making plans for a high-performance V8 G with the next model? With all the rumours and sightings of a V8 IS floating around, I guess it won't be that surprising.
A G45 (G50?) costing around the same price as a 330i could make things very interesting, at least for the power-mongers out there.
07-28-05, 07:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Kaban
Nissans got some *****. Hey if a $46k sedan won't sell, let's make a $55k sedan that won't sell.
I can only imagine you're talking about the M. It's selling. Generally speaking, Infiniti doesn't sell as many units as Lexus, but the M is selling very well for an Infiniti. You're never going to see as many Ms on the road as GSs. I certainly don't. But bearing in mind that the new M has only been around for a few months now, I already see many more of them per week than the previous "placeholder" body-style (2003-2004 M45). That's not bad, and that, I believe, is really what Infiniti wants to do--improve on its past. It's not as if they have set a ridiculous goal to "beat the competitors in sales in X years or we've failed."
We should be able to agree that this press release is marketing speak for, "We're dropping the Q moniker and our next flagship will be nicer and more expensive than the current Q." Nothing in that statement is a big surprise, really, as it's all been hinted at before. Based on that statement and the track record of G35s selling better than essentially any previous Infinitis and 2006 Ms selling better than 2003-04 M45s, I would very much expect this new flagship to sell quite a bit better than the current Q45, which is really all that matters to them.
It's not like they have delusions of grandeur. They're just saying, "Our next flagship is going to be a real nice car, oh and it's not going to be named the 'Q' any more." Big deal. Show me the car.
07-28-05, 08:20 AM
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Infiniti would love to see annual sales of the next "Q" of about 10,000 per year. It needs to be packed with features and increase in size. Exterior and interior design is key. They have to be careful about pricing though. It needs to undercut the competition significantly.
A big reason why the LS430 sells so well vs. the S and the 7 is because it's significantly cheaper. Dealers are offering deep discounts for this car. You can get a brand new LS430 with Premium package for about $50,000 (my buddy's parents just did). One with Navi/ML will cost about $55,000 on the street.
When the 2007 LS460 comes out, there is no way that you'd be able to get one for those prices.
A big reason why the LS430 sells so well vs. the S and the 7 is because it's significantly cheaper. Dealers are offering deep discounts for this car. You can get a brand new LS430 with Premium package for about $50,000 (my buddy's parents just did). One with Navi/ML will cost about $55,000 on the street.
When the 2007 LS460 comes out, there is no way that you'd be able to get one for those prices.
07-28-05, 08:45 AM
#13
Lexus Champion
please bring over the Nissan President! please bring over the Nissan President! please bring over the Nissan President! (well you get the idea...)
Toyota is afraid to bring over their flagship Toyota Century, but maybe Nissan will have the "*****" to bring over the president!
Toyota is afraid to bring over their flagship Toyota Century, but maybe Nissan will have the "*****" to bring over the president!
07-28-05, 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by sc400texas
please bring over the Nissan President! please bring over the Nissan President! please bring over the Nissan President! (well you get the idea...)
Toyota is afraid to bring over their flagship Toyota Century, but maybe Nissan will have the "*****" to bring over the president!
Toyota is afraid to bring over their flagship Toyota Century, but maybe Nissan will have the "*****" to bring over the president!
In the words of Austin Powers when he was playing blackjack...."I'll staaaaay"......
07-28-05, 09:17 AM
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Lets see here, "how to flop for 15 years".....
The most striking model, the original. No grill, drivers oriented interior. 278hp V-8 from 4.5 liters. The car was great, the bad thing, the LS 400 was perfect. It fared well in comparisons but didn't connect with buyers. THe ROcks and Trees ads didn't help.
When Nissan finally figured out after 5 years "hey, people are not buying this car, a big reason is we need a grill" they decided to slap this one on from Jaguar. The interior gained wood.
Well it was time for the revamp. "We HAVE A GRILL"!! exclaimed happy execuatives!! People will surely buy the car now. Here is a BETTER idea too! The 2nd gen Q45 was still named the Q45 but the engine LOST DISPLACEMENT!! It was a new 4.1 liter V-8 good for 266 hp. PROGRESS!!!
So technically, they sold people a Q41, not a Q45. But that is between us
They also decided to make the 1st and 2nd gen look nothing alike inside and out. This car fared very poorly in any ranking. As a matter of fact, when the LS 400 whooped it one on one and they couldn't compare the Q to the S/7 series, they started comparing it to the next class down!! Where the GS and 5 whooped it left and right in comparisons.
Well Ghosen came along and said "damnit, the Q45 is supposed to be the crown jewel of the company" So with this CURRENT model, more money than ever was spent on making the Q45 a winner. They slapped a class leading back to 4.5 liter 340hp engine inside!! But they wrapped it in one of the worst styled large cars in recent memory. THe ad campaign read "The Q45, the car with the worlds brightest headlights'"!! No joke, that was the main thing the showed!! The interior is very nice but small and odd compared to the competitors. The new Q45 was to be the car to put Infintii on track, instead, it fared poorly in reviews again, it was compared to the GS/5 again (its not even included in its own segment, comparisons) and the G35, the entry level car, started the turn-around.
The Q45 also gained its THIRD grill since its inception. Identity crisis.
Very good interior
The most striking model, the original. No grill, drivers oriented interior. 278hp V-8 from 4.5 liters. The car was great, the bad thing, the LS 400 was perfect. It fared well in comparisons but didn't connect with buyers. THe ROcks and Trees ads didn't help.
When Nissan finally figured out after 5 years "hey, people are not buying this car, a big reason is we need a grill" they decided to slap this one on from Jaguar. The interior gained wood.
Well it was time for the revamp. "We HAVE A GRILL"!! exclaimed happy execuatives!! People will surely buy the car now. Here is a BETTER idea too! The 2nd gen Q45 was still named the Q45 but the engine LOST DISPLACEMENT!! It was a new 4.1 liter V-8 good for 266 hp. PROGRESS!!!
So technically, they sold people a Q41, not a Q45. But that is between us
They also decided to make the 1st and 2nd gen look nothing alike inside and out. This car fared very poorly in any ranking. As a matter of fact, when the LS 400 whooped it one on one and they couldn't compare the Q to the S/7 series, they started comparing it to the next class down!! Where the GS and 5 whooped it left and right in comparisons. Well Ghosen came along and said "damnit, the Q45 is supposed to be the crown jewel of the company" So with this CURRENT model, more money than ever was spent on making the Q45 a winner. They slapped a class leading back to 4.5 liter 340hp engine inside!! But they wrapped it in one of the worst styled large cars in recent memory. THe ad campaign read "The Q45, the car with the worlds brightest headlights'"!! No joke, that was the main thing the showed!! The interior is very nice but small and odd compared to the competitors. The new Q45 was to be the car to put Infintii on track, instead, it fared poorly in reviews again, it was compared to the GS/5 again (its not even included in its own segment, comparisons) and the G35, the entry level car, started the turn-around.
The Q45 also gained its THIRD grill since its inception. Identity crisis.
Very good interior